How We Work

How We Work

Lebanese National Consultative Committee on Ethics (LNCCE),

Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Decision No. 63/2001

The Lebanese National Consultative Committee on Ethics (LNCCE) is a strictly consultative body, the opinion of which is regularly sought on social issues relating to the progress of knowledge in the fields of life sciences and health.

The LNCCE can be sought by:

The President of the Republic

The President of the Parliament or by parliamentary committees

Members of the Government

Institutions of higher education

Public institutions

Recognized public interest foundations working mainly in research, technological development and health promotion and protection.

Moreover, the Committee can decide to examine, by its own initiative, any issue raised by one of its members. This “self-referral power” allows the LNCCE to listen to and stay in touch with the ethical concerns of the community; it also guarantees its independence.

Work within the LNCCE is carried out by three bodies:

• The Plenary Committee: It is a deliberative body that meets monthly to discuss and debate opinions, guidelines, draft laws, and other projects underway. The LNCCE operates in accordance with its bylaws, which provides for a quorum of half the Committee members for the adoption of any of its projects.
• The Executive Committee: It comprises the President, Vice President and Secretary General, whose role is to ensure the proper functioning of LNCCE work and implement the decisions, guidelines, draft laws, revised or submitted by the Plenary committee.
• The sub-committees or working groups: Each problematic issue in the field of bioethics referred to the LNCCE for opinion is first studied by a working group composed of members of the Committee who can call upon experts from outside the LNCCE, if needed, to provide insight on the subject matter. After the study and deliberation phase, the members of the working group write a report to be discussed by all LNCCE members in plenary session.

Meetings of both the Plenary Committee and Sub-Committees take place behind closed doors.

After an issue is investigated, a final report is produced, with recommendations or an opinion, or a Draft-Law is written and is submitted to the competent ministries.

Important opinions are communicated to the public at large through press conferences.

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LNCCE/CCNLE does not warrant that the information, documents, articles and materials contained in its website are complete and correct and shall not be liable whatsoever for any damages incurred as a result of the use thereof.